97

Kassie

The Masterplan

Dark blue balloons were at every column, rows and rows of decorated tables filled the ballroom, and golden Romans helmet centerpieces sat everywhere. They went above and beyond for the ceremony. But the real reason we were there were the donors. If Ryan hadn't been holding on to my waist, I would've been swept up in the crowd, Castaway style.

And that's how it went, greeting the donors, shaking hands, snapping pictures, all while Ryan kept his hand wrapped around my waist, and my heart hammered in my throat.

The actual event wouldn't start until everyone filed in, but soft music played from overhead. It was magical.

"Hey?" I leaned against him. "You're doing so good."

"Mm."

"No, I'm serious. They love you."

It was amazing to see his transformation. He didn't look like he was bored off his ass from listening to people speak to him anymore. The effort was really and truly there. We were introduced to everyone and Ryan was the most cordial one in the room, with his hand firmly on my waist.

It was funny. Months ago I would've called anybody an anaconda for doing that. But it wasn't constricting, I felt safe. I felt good. Whatever they threw at us tonight, didn't matter, because I had him, right there.

They didn't sit us with the donors for the night, we got to sit with our buddies, everyone around the table. Ryan and I, King and June, Miles and Cleo, and Adam and a gorgeous girl with jet black hair who kept understandably getting upset when Adam forgot her name over and over again.

I shifted closer to Cleo, keeping my voice low while everyone else talked. "So, I'm saying this a hundred percent officially. I want the contract dissolved. I love him a lot and I'm real tired of sneaking around all the time."

"Oh, I'm a genius…" She sighed, pleased. "Everything, according to plan."

"According to…?" I stared at her. "But the contract…?"

It took me a couple of seconds to piece it together but I gazed at her, stunned, when I finally pieced it together.

"Oh my god, you wanted us to get together." I shook my head in amazement. "Wait. You've known the entire time? What about the banner? What about UrgentCare?"

"It's called the Rural Hospital Solution," she started to explain and stopped herself. "Wait. What about UrgentCare?"

"Uh…"

" Kassie . What about UrgentCare?"

"I—see—"

"That was a two-thousand dollar medical bill, so tell me again, what about UrgentCare?"

I couldn't look Cleo right in the eyes and not crush under the pressure so I shook my head. "Not even important. We're together—Marrs is making money—that's what's important." I hesitated, looking for an out. "So, explain it to me. How did t he master plan work?"

Cleo narrowed her eyes but sighed. "The idea is this. It's difficult to staff a rural hospital. What's the easiest way to keep long term employees? They find someone in the area, get married, have kids— bam —working long term at the same hospital they were supposed to spend a couple of months at."

I stared at her. "So, you were looking for a fake relationship for Ryan to convince him to stay at Marrs?"

"No, I wasn't searching," she admitted. "You kind of just popped up at the dinner and I figured I'd take a shot at it."

"But…he's still not staying at Marrs."

"I gave it my best attempt." She shrugged. "We sold a ton of jerseys regardless."

"She had a good instinct for these things," Miles countered, reaching over for her hand. "All she had to do was push it a little and Ryan took the initiative."

I hid my smile behind my drink. "Well, he excels at that."

"He's the one who pushed for the zoo day." Cleo grinned.

"Called at four in the fucking morning about it," Miles grumbled. "On a Sunday. What other days do we get to sleep in? But he had to call."

"It wasn't supposed to happen for another two weeks."

The more they talked about it, the wider my smile grew. I leaned back in my chair to take a look at Ryan, being accosted by a handful of donors off to the side, and I shook my head, still smiling.

I knew exactly why he'd pushed up the zoo day.

He wanted to tell me he loves me .

I took a quick drink and caught the attention of the whole table. "I have to go rescue him, I'll be right back."

"What?" Adam stretched back. "He looks fine. He looks happy."

King scoffed. "No, he doesn't."

"Tell him he has a phone call," June urged me. "It's courteous and gets him the hell out of there."

"Be right back," I promised and pushed up from the table.

The others tittered behind me and Adam wolf whistled—the asshole—but I just rolled my eyes and approached Ryan, touching him softly on the back. He glanced back and the polite smile washed away for an actual grin.

"I'm so sorry," I apologized, barely apologizing. "Mr. Cross has an important phone call."

They wished us the best with the phone call and when I drew him away, Ryan gave me a concerned look. "What's the important phone call for?"

"There isn't a phone call."

"What?" His eyebrows furrowed.

"I just wanted to rescue you."

A huge smile broke across his face and he leaned down to kiss my hair, the only place he could really kiss me with my makeup. But I had something else to tell him and I knew he'd get a kick out of it that I figured it out.

"I know why you moved up the zoo date," I whispered.

Ryan froze. He gazed down at me. "What?"

"I pieced it together."

There was the weirdest expression on his face and Ryan pressed his hand against my back, nodding off to the glass doors that separated the main room from the balcony. "I need to talk to you."